Romney's higher ed overhaul in Mass. fizzled

FILE - In this June 2, 2003 file photo, then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney testifies before the joint Committee on State Administration that is examining his restructuring plans at the Statehouse in Boston. Romney took over as Massachusetts governor in 2003 with a sweeping plan to overhaul the state's public college system to cut waste, reduce costs and boost efficiency. But when he left office four years later, not a lot had changed. His restructuring plan had been stymied over his bitter public feud with William Bulger, the University of Massachusetts president, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats and the brother of legendary Boston Irish-American mobster James "Whitey" Bulger.

Angela Rowlings, File, Associated Press

Summary

Mitt Romney took over as Massachusetts governor in 2003 with a sweeping plan to overhaul the state's public college system to cut waste, reduce costs and boost efficiency.

WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney took over as Massachusetts governor in 2003 with a sweeping plan to overhaul the state's public college system to cut waste, reduce costs and boost efficiency.

"This is my opportunity to be bold," he said in announcing the plan.

But when Romney left office four years later, not a lot had changed. His strongest mark on higher education was for a merit scholarship program he championed for top high school students.

Romney's restructuring plan was stymied by a Democratic-run state Legislature where many lawmakers were irked about his bitter public feud with William Bulger, the University of Massachusetts president and one of the state's most powerful and entrenched Democrats. Romney had criticized Bulger's silence on his then-fugitive brother, a legendary Boston Irish-American mobster. Bulger ran the UMass system with an iron hand and had plenty of old pals in the Legislature eager to thwart Romney.

"The governor can play such an important role in higher education," says Phil Johnston, a member of the UMass board of trustees and a former state Democratic Party chairman. "The bottom line is that after his reorganization proposal collapsed, Romney pretty much forgot about higher ed, except for his fight with Bulger."

Romney's campaign declined requests for comment. Bulger, through a spokesman, also declined to comment.

Now the likely Republican presidential nominee, Romney hasn't said much on the campaign trail about his higher education proposals, so his record in Massachusetts could offer clues about his approach to the issue if he wins the White House.

The wealthy former businessman was mocked by Democrats for saying in March that financially strapped students should "shop around" for the best loans and affordable schools.

In a recent speech to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Romney touted how as governor he put in place the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship program providing four years of free tuition at any state college or university for Massachusetts high school students who score in the top quarter of their school district on state standardized tests. More than 18,000 students in the class of 2012 won scholarships, which for the 2011-12 academic year ranged from about $700 to $1,700.

Romney has called for simplifying the federal financial aid process and re-opening the federal student loan market to private lenders. He says President Barack Obama's increases in federal student aid such as Pell Grants have driven up college tuition rates.

Courting college students and young voters who are critical to his re-election, Obama has stressed college affordability. In a rare moment of solidarity, Romney sided with Obama on legislation the president signed this month to prevent interest rate increases on new loans to college students.

Back in 2003, Romney's higher education plan in Massachusetts was crafted with help from Romney's former business consultant colleagues at Bain and Co. It was part of his efforts to close a $3 billion state budget gap.

Romney called for dismantling the 59,000-student university system, spinning off the flagship Amherst campus, privatizing three schools and merging six campuses. He wanted to group campuses by regions to share administrative services and cut costs. He wanted to boost tuition by as much as 28 percent, while adding $44 million to financial aid.

Romney said his plan would save about $150 million overall.

Yet it was Romney's proposal to eliminate Bulger's job and his entire $14 million-a-year office as overseer of the university's five campuses — Romney called it an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy — that stirred the most controversy.

Bulger branded Romney's plan a "corporate takeover" by a wealthy former venture capitalist with scant understanding of public education.